Many consumers desire to apply covers to articles in order to protect the article and/or to provide an enhanced, decorative appearance to the article. For example, covers have been developed that allow a consumer to apply a customized, decorative appearance to a hand-held electronic device while also protecting the device from becoming scratched or damaged. Such covers have been provided as die-cut, blank adhesive labels that can be fed through a printer to receive a printed image. After printing an image to the label, the consumer generally removes a backing from an adhesive layer of the label and attaches the adhesive, and thus the label, to the article in question. In other cases, pre-printed adhesive covers are provided to consumers who can attach the cover to an article of choice to decorate and protect the article.
It has been found that one desirable aspect of such covers is the ability for a consumer to customize an article according to his or her desires. It is therefore often the case that such a cover or label is provided as a removable cover, to allow the consumer to apply, and subsequently remove the cover or label at will. In this manner, the consumer can replace the cover with an alternate cover, or can return the article to its original condition. To address this need, manufacturers generally utilize a removable adhesive with the cover or label so that the cover will remain affixed to the article while in use but can also be relatively easily removed by the consumer when the consumer so desires.
Such adhesives have been found to perform well when used to attach a label to an article with a relatively flat, uniform surface; such as the face of a hand-held musical player, PDA or a cell phone. Problems have arisen, however, when attempting to protect or partially cover an article with a label that is intended to be extended around, or wrapped about, sides of the article.